Te Mata River

Te Mata River
Te Mata River near its mouth
Map
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationPapakai, Coromandel Range
 • elevation759 m (2,490 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Firth of Thames
Length15 km (9.3 mi)
Te Mata River bridge was built about 1945

The Te Mata River is a river of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island.[1] It flows west to reach the Firth of Thames at the small settlement of Te Mata, 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Coromandel.

The river was once used to wash large kauri logs down to the sea.[2] The headwaters were logged for kauri around 1890–1900. Thames Sawmilling Company cut rimu and miro in the 1960s. The higher areas around Papakai weren't logged. The native frogs, Leiopelma archeyi and Leiopelma hochstetteri, live near the valley.[3]

Gentle Annie mine produced 4.8 kg of gold between 1887 and 1889.[3] Gentle Annie Stream joins the river about 3 km up from the coast[4] and the find was described as being towards the ridge.[5]

The SH25 bridge was built about 1945.[6]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Latitude and longitude of Te Mata River". latitude.to.
  2. ^ "THAMES COUNTY. Ohinemuri Gazette". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 July 1912. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Papakai Ecological Area" (PDF). Researchgate. July 1984.
  4. ^ "Gentle Annie Stream, Waikato". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  5. ^ "THE DISCOVERY AT TE MATA. Thames Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 24 October 1887. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Auckland Star". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 May 1945. Retrieved 17 March 2023.

"Place name detail: Te Mata River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 12 July 2009.

36°58′S 175°30′E / 36.967°S 175.500°E / -36.967; 175.500